An Interview With A Day To Remember [11/2007]

As part of my coverage of the Victory Tour, I had a chance to talk with Josh, the bassist of A Day To Remember. The band was heading to Baltimore, MD, to kick off the tour, and he had a lot to say about touring, how dedicated the band is to their fans, and naturally, Kelly Clarkson.

pixie: So I’m guessing you’re on the road now, heading to the first show?

Josh: Yes, we are on the road right now. We’re in Baltimore right now, heading to a mall to get a few things quick, and then we’re going to the venue.

pixie: So what do you guys get at a mall on the way to a big tour like this?

Josh: Malls aren’t a regular thing or anything, but we’re all going to get the brand new Sidekick that just came out a couple of days ago and a few of us are really freaking out about that, so we have to go get it.

pixie: That’s awesome. So what are your plans for the tour?

Josh: Definitely. There’s not a single band on the tour who sounds like us, so a lot of the kids who come out to the tour to see the other bands are potential new fans so we’re really excited about that. We already know a couple of the bands on the tour, and we’re really stoked to have fun and hang out with people.

pixie: It’s definitely a diverse tour, even though you’re all on the same label, but you’re all compatible.

Josh: Definitely. I think it is going to pull kids from different genres and areas across the board.

pixie: It sounds crazy in there. How do you guys travel?

Josh: We have a 15-passenger van and a trailer.

pixie: How many of you are in there?

Josh: Six of us. Not too bad at all.

pixie: So what’s your craziest tour story?

Josh: There’s always something that happens on tour that’s just nuts… but we always make good friends with bands or get into some kind of trouble or something.

pixie: No arrests or anything like that, right?
Josh: Well, actually, there has been a couple of arrests on tour… but nothing too serious. Just people doing their thing, but nothing too crazy.

pixie: Have you had any strange encounters with fans?

Josh: Nah, most of the kids are cool. Though… when we were on tour with Silverstein, this girl we used to sort of talk to years ago, who was from Japan, flew out to the California shows and she was there to see us and Silverstein. So that was really, really weird.

pixie: That’s dedication. That’s good, though, if you can inspire that in somebody - it says you’re doing something right.

Josh: I can’t even imagine flying overseas to see a band for a couple of days. That’s so nuts.

pixie: Well, she’s somebody who has a lot more money than I do, I’ll tell you that much.

Josh: [laughing] Exactly.

pixie: So, what are your touring essentials?

Josh: Honestly? Just the van, our equipment, gas money, and our merchandise. We’re not very high maintenance. We’ll just get by. I mean, I guess Sidekicks for sure, and we’d be insane with out them, but they’re not necessities. They just make life easier.

pixie: So, after this tour, you’re heading to the UK… any plans after that?

Josh: We’re going to the UK with the guys from Maylene & The Sons of Disaster. We’re sharing a bus, and I don’t really know what is going on there. We’ve never been over there, so we don’t know what to expect. We have a lot of UK hype on the Internet, so we have no clue what to expect. We’re really excited to hang out with some good people and play some shows in new places.

pixie: The thing about the UK is they’re dedicated fans, especially for first-time bands.

Josh: It’s amazing, they’re die-hard fans without ever seeing the band or even being close to seeing the band, so it’s definitely weird… I’m really excited. I want to hear their slang and stuff.

pixie: So, why did you guys cover Kelly Clarkson?

Josh: Because… is it not the raddest song ever? We were all riding in the van and that was something that came up on all our iPods, and we all like it and were singing along, so we thought “how cool would it be to cover this?” A lot of people are weird about it, like why did you cover Kelly Clarkson? But it’s honest to God just a song we all like.

pixie: It’s different, I’ll give you that.

Josh: For sure.

pixie: It’s good to do things like that. You guys are really fan-friendly with interacting with fans via AIM, phones, and all of that… it’s something that really stands out.

Josh: We’ve always thought that was something that would show the kids you’re not just like every other band, doing stuff, keeping things fresh and new… that’s the only reason people stay interested. Without that, you’re just flavor of the week.

pixie: You also show that you really care, and aren’t just talking when you say you’re “all about the fans” but then turn your backs on them when they get to the shows…

Josh: We have always been a band that when we get to shows we all get out and hang out and after our set, we don’t go and sit in the van and not interact. That’s never been us. We’ve always been a band about the kids. Without them, there’s nothing. You are nothing. So you do whatever it takes for them, so that’s what we do.

pixie: It comes across and that’s why your fans are so dedicated. Okay, so let’s say I gave you $1 million to make any merchandise for A Day to Remember that you want - what do you make?

Josh: Oh, geez. Have you seen our merchandise?

pixie: Yes!

Josh: We’re really into freelance artists who do crazy insane art, we’re into hand-drawn art and not using stock images. With a million dollars, I’d probably hire artists and stock up on all the normal merchandise so we never had to buy it again, because a million dollars is a lot of money.

…Unfortunately, at this point Josh and I got cut off, so I didn’t get to ask him for his message to the fans. But given how the band feels about their fans, it’s safe to say that they’ll be happy to see you at the tour, and you should go and say hi! And buy some of their merchandise, because it really is awesome.

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